Hi There from new guy

[Dindsy]

Hi,
I'm still startin out and need some advice. After playing around with bincoulars for a while I went and got a Telescope. It's a skywatcher 6", 150mm reflector on an EQ3 mount.

I've got a few books and Atlas's, etc and so far all I've been able to find is the moon, and Jupiter. I've read about star hopping and had a go but I still don't find what I'm looking for. I really want to see a galaxy or Nebula. I know a 6" isn't very big and I'm not expecting a miraculous view but I'd like to know that I can find something before I try and find darker skies.

My location couldn't be much worse . I live in Sydney suburb on a corner and have 2 streets lights looking north,1 south and 1 west. With trees and stuff I'm not going to view much close to the horizon. Anything I can view has to be fairly high to avoid all the noise.

Am i being unreasonable to expect to see such things with my set up and location?

How can I get experience in finding things like this before an expedition to pack everything up and head for dark skies.

cheers

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

and Dindsy

The first nebula I'd suggest is M42 in Orion. An hour after sunset Orion should be pretty much straight up and slightly north. Most people know it as "The Saucepan" or "The Shopping Trolley". If you can find the handle of the saucepan and look at the middle star through your scope you will notice a lot of glowing gas and dust. This is M42 or the Great Orion Nebula.

The best galaxy for you to see atm (if the lights will let you) is NGC253 in the constellation of Cetus. It will be in the western sky after sunset.

What books and maps do you have at the moment?

[sejanus (Gavin)]

Look for saturn rising up from NE at around 10-11pm? The later it gets the higher and better it looks

[rmcpb (Rob)]

Welcome to IIS Dindsy

You have selected a great starter scope which will keep you busy for many years to come if aperture fever does not take hold. You also have significant challenges with your observing location by the sound of it. With bad light pollution nebulae and galaxies will be very difficult to observe and, other than the really bright nebulae like M42, you may be better off trying for some of the open clusters, globular clusters and double stars until you migrate to a dark site for a session, then a whole new world will open up.

Cheers

[ving (David)]

charts and lots of practice... you need to practice techniques in finding faint stuff like averted vision and bumping the scope a bit.

get some good charts and you'll be off tho

[acropolite (Phil)]

to IIS Dinsy. If you can find a copy of Astronomy 2007 that's a good starting point. Astronomy 2007 will give a decent guide to planetary viewing from month to month as well as a set of easy to use sky maps and some useful glossaries that can be cut out and laminated if desired. A planisphere will also help to make finding your way around a little easier. Even when there is a full moon there is still lots to see, nice doubles (do a search on "seeing double" for a series of articles compiled by a slightly eccentric librarian from the town of campbells), the Orion Nebula (M42), Eta Carina Nebula and Tarantula Nebula are all easily visible and will show good detail on a full moon. 47 Tucanae (a globular cluster) is a spectacular and easy to find target just near the Small Magellenic Cloud. You should be able to see 47 TUC as a fuzzy spot just outside the SMC. For a free (printable) sky map and list of suitable targets month by month you can go to Skymaps.com.

[toetoe (Peter)]

G'day and welcome to IIS dindsy, don,t let the size of your telescope put you off with what you can see, my 4.5" Tasco does me mighty fine, with good eye pieces and not so much the ones which came with the scope, there is plenty of enjoyment with the smaller telescopes, not to mention it is much easier to put in the car for a field trip to a dark location and quicker to set up . Yes i do want to go bigger with aperture one day but you can still have enjoyment with the little scopes. Always someone here to help with any questions you may have.

[Dindsy]

Thanks,
to all for the encouragement and responses. Pity its cloudy today. Can't wait to target some of these.

The books i have:
2007 astronomy guide.
Philip's Night Sky Atlas
Australian geographic guide to space watching
A Planisphere

cheers

[wavelandscott (Scott)]

You could also see about going to an observing night or two with some of the astro societies...

Where in Sydney are you?

Northern Sydney Astronomical Society view regularly at Turramurra Golf Course and also there are a group of folks from IIS that meet regularly at Kulunura (spelling) up toward Gosford...

Both places would have people that are helpful and generally nice.

Cheers!

[astro_nutt]

Hi Dindsy..welcome to IIS..
At the moment the brightest things to see after dark beside the Moon would be star such as Sirius and Canopus..refer to these as key stars during the Summer months as they would be the first to see during twilight..from there match them to the Planisphere according to the time, day and month..from there it would lead you to other fainter stars to the rellevent constellations.
Another book worth seeking "The Nature Guides Skywatching" by David H Levy..it does contain astrophotos of objects in their respective Constellations.
Cheers!

[Kirky]

Hi Dindsy
I am new here too and have just (two weeks ago) bought the same 150mm Skywatcher scope.
Its been cloudy here but the viewing I have done has been great fun.
All I have bought extra is a 2x barlow at this stage.
Anyway good luck with it
Cheers

[ACE]

G'day Dindsy,

Welcome to the forum!

[Dindsy]

I know what you mean about the clouds. I've had mine for 6 months but soon after had a second kid so it was moth balled until i started getting more sleep. Since I hauled mine out the other night it has been cloudy and now raining.

I also just went and bought the 2xbarlow. I also bought a moon filter. You'll need that or you go blind in one eye. And I bought the RA motor drive. I'll see how good that is when the clouds move. I think the problem with that is going to be that you can't move it quickly without undoing the lock. It has an 8x speed but that seems quite slow still. but maybe it isn't when you're looking through the eyepiece.

Anyway, It will be fun to be outside again. Good luck with yours.

cheers

[ving (David)]

hi again dindsy, if you are n the campbelltown area theres the macarthur astro society. its worth joining your local astro soc, theres nothing like observing with knowledgable folk to show you teh way. I knew NOTHING when i joined MAS

[neB]

Hey Dindsy,

I got into this kinda because my youngins - now 2 year old twins.

Looking for stuff to do at night that wasn't infront of the TV and didn't make noise - put a temporary stop to my music career!!

Now, after wife and kids go to bed, I hit the backyard.

Enjoy,
Ben

P.S. My first purchases were barlow and moon filter also. Pattern developing here......